d to foot. "But," said the
ferryman, "when the clothes are worn out, and his sister is tired of
supplying him with pocket-money (which will probably be very soon), he
will be obliged to betake himself again to America." The Lady of
Glengyle has a house not far from the ferry-house, but she now lives
mostly at Callander for the sake of educating her son.'--_Author's MS._,
1806.

{100} NOTE 10.--'_In a word_, _the Trossachs beggar all description_.'
PAGE 100.

The world believes, and will continue to believe, that Scott was the
first 'Sassenach' who discovered the Trossachs, as it was his Poem which
gave them world-wide celebrity. It would probably be as impossible to
alter this impression, as it would be to substitute for Shakespeare's
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth the very different versions of the facts and
characters which historical research has brought to light. And yet it
would be interesting, to those who care for truth and fact, to inquire,
did time allow, what first brought the Trossachs into notice, and who
first did so. That they had, as I have said in the Preface, some fame
before Scott's Poem appeared, is clear, else a stranger like Wordsworth
would never have gone so far out of his way to search for them. Pending
a thorough examination of the question, it may be worth while here to
note the following facts. Miss Wordsworth refers in the text to some
work on the Trossachs, from which the words at the head of this note are
taken.

I was under the impression that the work referred to was the well-known
'Sketches descriptive of Picturesque Scenery on the Southern Confines of
Perthshire,' by the Rev. Patrick Graham, minister of Aberfoyle, but it is
satisfactory to find that Mr. Graham was not alone in his admiration of
Highland scenery in those early days. A neighbour of his, the Rev. James
Robertson, who was presented to the parish of Callander in 1768, wrote a
description of the Trossachs in Sir John Sinclair's Statistical Account,
and from the fact of his using the very sentence quoted by Miss
Wordsworth, I have no doubt he was the author of the little pamphlet.
Miss Spence in her 'Caledonian Excursion,' 1811, says that the Honourable
Mrs. Murray told the minister of Callander that Scott ought to have
dedicated 'The Lady of the Lake' to her as the discoverer of the
Trossachs--'Pray, Madam,' said the good doctor, 'when did you write your
Tour?' 'In the year 1794.' {314} 'Then, Madam, it is no presumpt